Dispenser for liquids



Sept.kv 30, 1.958

A. NADAI DISPENSER FOR LIQUIDS Filed Aug. 17, 1955 3a 54 36 @4 3a @6 4oNVENTUR. HLcA-an afer HPH/ BY @L United States Fatent O DISPENSER FORLIQUIDS Alexander Nadai, New York, N. Y. Application August 17, 195s,serial No. 528,969y

Claims. (Cl. 15-134) This invention relates to dispensers,.and moreparticularly to dispensers for liquids, for example deodorants,perfumes, liquid lipsticks, liquid rouge, lotions or the like.

When hitherto customary dispensers are used for applying liquid to aportion of the body of a person it is necessary to hold the outlet ofthe case of the dispenser downwardly or else to pour the liquid rst onthe palm of a hand and then apply it to the body. This kind of dispenseris especially inconvenient for applying the liquid to the armpit, evenif the dispenser is in the shape of a sprayer. t

An object of the invention is to provide a dispenserv for a liquid, bymeans of which the liquid may be readily applied to any portion of thebody.

Another object of the invention is to provide ka dis# penser for liquidswhich may be readily used in any position. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser by means ofwhich a controlled amount of the liquid may be applied to the bodyforeach application, so as to avoid the disadvantage of hithertocustomary dispensers which discharge too great an amount of liquid torelatively small surfaces of the body.

Still another object of the 'invention 'is to provide a dispenser whichis perfectly sealed so as to prevent the escape of liquid while thedispenser is not used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for liquidswhich overcomes the disadvantages of hitherto known dispensers forliquids and yet may be manufactured at low costs.k K

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a'dispenser for liquids accordingto the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view takenalong line Il-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the dispenser shownin Fig. 1, wherein however the closing cap is removed and theapplyingmembrane is vin' the position which it occupies during theapplying of the liquid to the body, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the upperportion of the dispenser according to the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 generally indicates a dispenser forliquids comprising a container 12 having a threaded neck portion 14.

A hollow member, generally indicated by 16, tightly inserted into thebore of the neck 14 comprises a bottom 18, a cylindrical wall 20, fourinwardly projecting elements 22 and an annular top element 24. Theelements 22 are shorter than the cylindrical wall 20, so that a chamber26 is formed inside the member 16 between the upper end of the elements22 and the lower surface ICC of the annular top element 24. Said chmaber26 communicates with the interior of the container or case 12 throughbores 28 extending through the elements 22.

A cylindrical body 30 inserted into the cavity of the member 20 is heldtherein by means of the protruding elements 22. Said body 30 is made ofan elastic porous mass, preferably of a foam material and acts as aporous reservoir member. It has been found that excellent results areobtained by means of a foam material made of a material known in thetrade under the trade-name Neoprene A membrane 32 engaged with a slot 34of the top element 24 of the member 20 is likewise made of an elasticporous material, preferably a foam material made of so-called NeopreneThe inner edge 36 of the top element 24 is somewhat higher than theupper surface of the body or porous reservoir member 30, whereby a space38 is formed between the body 30 and the menibrane 32.

A threaded cap may be screwed on the threaded neck 14 of the case 12 forclosing the aperture thereof.

The dispenser may be used as follows:

The container 12 is lled with a liquid, for example deodorant, perfume,liquid lipstick, liquid rouge, lotion. When the dispenser is carriedaround, vfor example in a pocketbook, owing to the shaking of thepocketbook liquid ows from the interior of the container 12 through thebores 28 into the chamber 26 of the member 20 and thence into the porousbody or porous reservoir member 3d. Thus the body 30 absorbs a certainamount of the liquid. lf the dispenser should not have been carriedaround in a pocket book, the same effect may be obtained by manuallyshaking the dispenser before use.

Now when after removal of the cap 40 the dispenser is used and itsporous membrane 32 is pressed against the skin of the body, saidmembrane 32 obtains the concave shape as shown in Fig. 3. Thereby theporous membrane 32 comes into contact with the upper surface of theporous reservoir body 30, so that a controlled or predetermined amountof liquid contained therein is pressed through the porous membrane 32onto the outer surface of the latter for application to the skin.

The amount of liquid to be applied to the skin can be readily regulatedby pressure exerted during the application of the liquid. The higher thepressure, the more liquid will be applied to the skin. The desiredpressure can be predetermined by choosing a certain distance between thebody 30 and the membrane 32 and/ or by selecting a certain thickness ofthe membrane 32. Furthermore the density of the foam material of thebody 30 and/ or the membrane 32 will have a controlling influence on theamount of liquid to be applied to the skin during each application. l

It will be readily understood from above, that the dispenser accordingto the invention eliminates the discharge of uncontrolled amounts ofliquidsduring the application and that such a suppression of thedischarge of kuncontrolled amounts could not be obtained if the body 30lled with liquid would be applied directly to the body -of a person.

Furthermore the outlet of the dispenser according to the invention istightly sealed when not in use. The space 38 left between the membrane32 and body or porous reservoir member30, normally filled with air,prevents an escape of the liquid absorbed by the body 30 from thelatter.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 4 is similar to the embodiment shown inFig. 3. However the porous membrane 32 of the dispenser of Fig. 3 isreplaced by a member 248 made of an elastic but non-porous material.Said member or membrane 248 being provided with a series of a'person, itis bent inwardly 4for engagement with the wet body 230, from which apredetermined amount of liquid is pressed through the bores 250io`fkvthe membrane 248 onto' the skin of the person. The 'amount of to beapplied to the skin during an application can be pre.

determined by choosing a certain "number Vof holes of certain size inthe member 24S. I have described preferred embodiments of-my invention,but it is understood that -this disclosure is forthe;

purpose of illustration and that various omissions or changes in'shape,proportion andarrangement of parts,

Vas well as the substitutiony vof equivalent elements for those hereinshown and ydescribed may be made without departing fro-m the spirit andscopeof the invention as set' forthin the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Dispensing means'for use with a container capableY of holding asupply of liquid and having an outlet, comprising ar porous reservoirmember adapted to be mounted on said container, whereby the reservoirmember is adapted to be saturated withliquid from said container, and anapplicator membrane adapted to be mounted on the container in spaced,confronting` relation to said reservoir member, said applicator membranebeing flexible, resilient, and liquid permeable, and being'depressibleinto abutment with said reservoir member upon application of saiddispensing means to a skin surface, whereb-y liquid is squeezed from thereservoir member and transferred to the applicator, member and throughsaid membrane to the skin surface.

2. Dispensing means for use with a container capable of," holding asupply of liquidand -having an outlet, cornprising a porousreservoirmember adapted to be mounted on said container in a positioncovering said outlet, whereby the reservoir member is adapted to besaturated with*y liquid from said container, and a porous applicato-rmembrane on said container mounted in spaced, confronting relation tosaid reservoir member, ysaid applicator membrane being flexible,resilient, and liquid permeable, and being depressible into abutmentwith said reservoir member upon pressing 1 application of saiddispensing means to a skin surface,l whereby liquid is squeezedk fromtherreservoir member andvtransferred to the applicator membrane andthroughhsaidjme'mbrane to the skin surface, the` applicator membrane;being suh'iciently flexible to move back to its position spaced from thereservoir memberwhen the dispensing'means is lifted from its pressingengagement with the skinsurface. Y

3. A dispensing device for'ufse'gwitha container capable of holding asupply of liquid'and having an ou'tlet,said dispensing devicecomprising'a'bodyadapted to be mounted on said container incommunication with said outlet and containing an inner porousreservoirrieniber positioned to cover over saidbutlet, Vwhereby thereservo-ir member is adapted to besa't'urated Vwith liquidy from saidliquid is squeezed from the saturated reservoir member and transferredtothe applicator membrane and through said membrane to the skin surface.

4. In combination with a container capable'of holding Va supply ofliquid and 4having an outlet, `a vdispenser mountedron said container incommunication with said outlet and comprising a porous reservoir memberdisposed within said outlet whereby the reservoir member is saturatedwith liquid upon tilting of said container, and an applicator membranedisposed in front of said reservoirfmember and extending across saidoutlet, said applicator membrane being llexible,fresilient, and liquid.permeable, andbeing normallys'paced from said reservoir member, saidapplicator membrane being depressible into abutment with Vsaid reservoirmember upon application o-f said dispenser to a skin surface, wherebyyliquid is squeezed from the reservoir member and transferred to theapplicator membrane and through `said membrane to the skin surface.

5. VIn-combination with a container capable of holding a supply ofliquid and having 'an outlet, a dispenser insert having a body sized tobe mounted in said outlet, said body containing an inner porousreservoir member, conduit means-connecting the-reservoir member with theinterior of said containerwhereby the reservoir member is saturated withliquid upon tilting `of said container, and aporous applicator membranedisposed in front of said reservoir member and extending across saidoutlet, said applicato-r' membrane beingexible,resilient, and liquidpermeable, and being normally spaced from said reservoir member, saidapplicator membrane being depressible into abutment with said reservoirmember upon application of said dispenser to a skin surface with theapplicator membrane pressing against said'skin surface, wherebyliquid'is squeezed from the reservoir member and transferred to theapplicator membranel and through said mem brane to the skin surface, theapplicator membrane being sufficiently flexible to return to itsposition spaced from said reservoir member when the dispenserislifted-from the skin surface.

References Cited in the (file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,080,778 Moine et al May 18, 1937 2,095,423 f Tilley Oct. 12, 19372,265,935 Bischofswerder Dec.9, 1941 2,281,105 Marti et al Apr. 28, 1942k2,418,035 La Chapelle Mar. 24, 1947 l FOREIGN PATENTS 213,755switzerland Mar. 14, i941 856,302 France Mar.'18, 1940

